


Visiting

by YoyoIlluser



Category: Once-ler ask blogs, The Lorax (2012)
Genre: Boys Kissing, Control, Kissing, M/M, Multiple Personalities
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-08-15
Updated: 2013-08-15
Packaged: 2017-12-23 13:38:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,570
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/927099
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/YoyoIlluser/pseuds/YoyoIlluser
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>He could only wait so long for his friend to contact him, after awhile Swone was going to see just why Onag had been avoiding him lately.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Visiting

There was just too much. Too much noise, thoughts, voices, everything. Penetrating his mind like needles, stitching threads that connected and tangled amongst themselves till his head was not a place of his own, taken by the swirling complications and stress that would not stop. Would not go away. It throbbed throughout him till he physically hurt, hunched over against his desk with fingers digging into the wood, the fabric of gloves snagging against slivers as he gripped the surface, taking in deep, shaking breaths. 

    Just do like Swone had said, told him…in the past. Forget about it. Don’t think about it. It wasn’t okay for him to let things get through, get in. Don’t concentrate on it. Don’t dwell on anything. F…family. Memories. Past conflictions. The teasing, penetrating statements of the anons and messages that often filled his inbox. Do not focus on the negative words that strived to push him over the edge. But then, why did they enjoy doing it so much? The thought popped into Onag’s mind like a bubble, bursting, and shoving the others away for the moment. Why did they do it? Was he a delightful target to stab with invectives, someone who was easy to push around? Was he so boring that messing with him seemed the only fun they could have? Heh, how absolutely hi…hilarious it all was. Eyes closed as the new ideas leaked into the re-intruding old ones, mixing together. Once he started thinking about it, about everything, he couldn’t stop. Life was full of too much. It always had been. Someone else could take it all away and let him simply just be. He was never one who could handle…deal with much. So much. Too Much. Better to not think about it at all, any…of it. Anything. Not…think. Just. Let. It. All…go…aw-

    A tense, shuddering body relaxed, forehead dipping down to press against the top of the desk as slacking fingers slipped back, arms falling at Onag’s sides, swaying lightly. Breathing slowed, one sighing out in a gentle expression of calm, the room suddenly filled with quiet. No movement. Silence. Time was the only thing that seemed to continue on, everything else remaining still. Lifeless.

    About the ninth time the phone went to messenger was about the third time Swone had started grinding his teeth together. It was one thing for Onag to ignore him on occasion, but eventually the idiot did return his calls. At least bothered him in some manner, at some point. But two days without so much as a stupid text, a ring, even a pointless blog message…It unnerved him. Day one was forgivable, with plenty of teasing and poking fun at whatever reason his friend had been too absentminded to not reply the only consequence. Day two on the other hand, well after day two had passed, Swone found himself unable to concentrate on anything but that fact. He paced his kitchen, a half prepared something or other dish sitting atop the counter, forgotten. Knuckles raised to his lips as Swone stared at the clock, noting that ten minutes past midnight, making it day three now, there was still no response. He bit down, then swore, shaking his fingers. Okay, there was no reason to get this worked up. He could simply be sleeping right now. Or occupied. Onag, despite his friend’s own issues, was fully capable of doing whatever he wanted to do, without him. He was busy, or just…well actually, when was the last time he had visited? Now was a good a time as any, right? Sure it was. Untying his apron as he convinced himself of this, Swone went for his coat, only half on by the time he was through the door, making sure to leave before he changed his mind again.

    Like always, it was easy to get in. Onag never locked the entrance when he was home, knowing full well that Swone was not going to stand around waiting to be allowed to visit. But then this also meant that Onag was indeed inside. He hadn’t gone anywhere, so why the fuck was he not answering? Darkness greeted the young Once-ler once he stepped in, darker still when looked upon through tinted shades. Despite the pitch black though, Swone turned automatically towards the dining room. Onag’s computer, sitting comfortably in its usual place on the table, was off, cold even. For how long? Continuing through the kitchen, teeth starting to work their way against his bottom lip as concern gnawed at his insides, Swone walked the length around to the living room, and was greeted with the same. No sign of…anything really. Uncut coupons stacked atop the coffee table, Onag’s phone resting…his phone! One of those iPhone, uh, fives, that Onag would not shut up about. The kind of phone money, quite a bit of money, was spent on. This was a big deal, as Onag never spent a lot on anything if he could get away with it. Now it was just left out, and there was something very wrong about that. Checking the phone over, Swone found it to be dead, so it remained unknown still whether his messages had actually even been seen.

    “You better fucking be upstairs!” Swone called out to the empty dark,  beyond livid now, and tired of wondering all the what ifs. It could still just be nothing and he was blowing it all out of proportion, but Swone wanted an answer, any answer. Even some petty bullshit explanation, it would still be better than darkness, and silence, and a missing friend who was making him worry, fret…just where the hell was he already!? Shrugging off his coat and tossing it against the couch on his way back to the stairs, the stripes of his suit casting faded green light on surfaces as he walked, usually a personal pride of his attire, now though Swone felt it made everything look sick. This was beginning to remind him far too much of…no. Just no. Wiping a trickle of blood from his lip with a finger, Swone paused by the study. It was the last place on the first floor he hadn’t checked. There was no light coming from under the door, but then everything else so far had been like that. Wait. There was sound though, faint, but that unmistakable clicking, clacking noise…he shoved it open.

    Inside, the first thing Swone saw was Onag, or rather his back, sitting at his laptop, typing away. Hands clenched into fists as he watched, barely noting that when the door had been slammed Onag hadn’t budged. Hadn’t even moved, other than the almost rhythmic motion of fingers dancing back and forth along keys. There was still no reaction when Swone flicked the light on, completely over the darkness he had been walking through since arriving.

    “Why are you, for some reason or another I can‘t figure out, ignoring me?” Swone began, taking a few steps forward, his lips curling back in a sneer that expressed everything he was trying very hard to keep a lid on right now. When it came to other people, Swone deemed himself perfection in the art of keeping it cool, being civil, what it meant to be professional. Then there was his friend, Onag, Harvey…that one person whom he had so much history with that it was difficult not to slip up, not to express more than he intended, even when he tried. Still, Onag didn’t glance back, turn, or even break keystroke. Shaking, and completely pissed off now, Swone grabbed at his shoulder.

    “Fucking look at me already!” Words hissed out through clenched teeth, more a snarl than a statement, but at this point Swone was done, so very done with whatever stupid shit was going on. He got exactly what he wanted this time though. Nothing was spoken, no reply, just a pause in typing as hands moved from the keyboard to rest on the desk in front of the laptop, Onag tilting back his head to look up at Swone.

    The verbal onslaught died in his throat as soon as he looked into his friend’s eyes, and saw, mirrors. So glazed over that Swone’s reflection stared back in wide eyed horror, once soft, grey blue orbs tinted in that strange, inhuman red that meant Onag wasn’t there right now, at least, not the Onag that Swone knew so well. Still shaking, but from the cold wash of fear that ran down his spine, rage replaced with a pitted feeling of dread, and all the worry and what ifs that had been playing in his mind crashing into the reality that was facing him, Swone raised his hand from gripping at the shoulder to press gently, one could even say affectionately, against Onag’s cheek. Just how far was he? How long had he been like this? How many of the days spent waiting for a reply had he been stuck as this…this…

     _“Greetings sir, I am Robonag. I use a deterministic algorithm to answer your queries. How may I serve you?”_

    Oh. That far, and that long. Inhaling sharply, though his chest felt like a vice was clenching at it, suffocating him, Swone gripped Onag by the fabric of his sleeves and wrenched the other Once-ler to his feet. This was going to end, right now. No games, no fucking around. It was already easy to see that despite the disgustingly robotic behavior, his head still drooped towards Swone’s shoulder as soon as he was standing, knees buckling. Again though Onag inquired as to how he could serve, and Swone was already sick of hearing that, so he whispered a well kept little secret into his ear, the only phrase that needed to be spoken right now, then waited.

     _“Command not recognized. Can you please rephrase your command?”_

    Fuck, it wasn’t going to be that easy.

    “Will you knock that off!? Damn it, you heard me already, stop this shit Onag. You know I can‘t stand when you do this, when you just disappear and I‘m stuck with this fucking…empty shell,” Swone shook him, no longer masking the concern in his voice, the anger that seethed through his body. “This isn‘t you. This isn‘t my friend, so just come back already!”

     _“Command not recognized. Can you please rephrase-”_

    “SHUT UP!” Immediately Onag did just as he was told, of course, and Swone let go of him. He couldn’t take this right now. Dropping to his knees on the carpet, head bowed down to stare at nothing but the floor, Onag remained silent, though Swone had a feeling he’d start asking for another stupid command, over and over again, if he hadn’t already told him to keep quiet. This is how it always was, though it had been awhile since…the last time. Crossing his arms over his chest as he tried to gather his thoughts, Swone took a deep breath. Then another. Getting riled up wasn’t going to fix this, then again what usually did wasn‘t working either. When his friend started to fall forward, wobbling slightly, then back up in a straightened posture, Swone raised an eyebrow.

    “How long has it been since you’ve eaten? Since you‘ve moved?” There was no response, so Swone got down to one knee and grabbed his collar, drawing Onag’s face in closer, almost nose to nose. Unblinking eyes stared back. He repeated the questions, only to have a blank, open mouthed expression returned and no reply. Obviously that was an answer in itself. Swone bit back a snarl, a retort, and dragged the man back to his feet.

    “Damn it, just follow me.”

    That was an easy enough command, and if Onag wasn’t planning on coming back right now, or taking care of himself, it looked like he was going to have to do it instead. Clenching his hand, tightly, Swone half pulled, half led him from the study, all the way to the kitchen. Onag followed, though on occasion he did stumble, as if unsure of his footing, walking stiffly, and showing at least a vague form of human behavior even if he didn’t actually believe he was at the moment. This was, in a small way, a good sign. Once there, Swone dumped his ass into a chair after mumbling for him to sit, finding it far quicker to just tell him what to do, even if he hated it. Head once again lowered, hands placed atop the table, his whole body rigid as he awaited for the next command, keeping to his silence. Everything about that made Swone all the more enraged, all the more want to scream and just storm off. But he didn’t, he couldn’t. Instead he left him sitting there and went about turning on all the lights, electric bill be damned. Onag could get on his case about it later when he was…back. Removing his jacket and hanging it from a peg, glasses set aside on the counter, Swone adjusted his gloves, a smirk spreading on his face despite the situation. Cooking was his forte, his pass time, even when it was done for overly picky vegans. Of course he imagined Onag would eat anything he put in front of him right now, if commanded to, and as tempting as that was to do…maybe. He had to see what was available first.

    It turned out there was a bit of a choice to be made from the options in Onag’s kitchen, and often that surprised Swone. Of course it lacked the essential ingredients, but then those were foods his friend didn’t touch. Sad. But after digging around a bit and pulling together enough from what was stocked, Swone managed a sort of stir fry that even he was proud of. Setting it in front of Onag, and taking a seat next to him, a fork was stabbed into the dish and held up. Swone stared, hoping for some reaction. When none came he sighed and wrapped a hand around Onag’s jaw, drawing his face up to meet eye to eye. It was disturbing how innocent an expression a person could have when they were devoid of all the worries and problems of life. He found himself just looking, perhaps searching, for anything in the gaze that might be something more than the so called robot that sat before him. Something that was his friend. Of course nothing. But still…The fork was set back down, a small, somewhat crazy idea forming.

    “Kiss me.”

    What he had been expecting, Swone didn’t quite know, but Onag seemed plenty eager to respond to such a command. Lips pressed to his, eyelids even falling over red irises as hands moved to grip the front of his shirt. Swone hadn’t told him to do that. But he let it happen, it was his command for one, and right now, more was good. His mouth moved expertly in a way Swone had no idea Onag could do, nibbling tentatively at the beginning, only to go deeper and more aggressive each time lips opened and worked their way against his, Swone finding it hard not to return in likeness. He let the kiss continue for just a bit longer though, before touching a hand to the black tie before him.

    “Stop.”

    Lingering just enough to make Swone question whether he had heard or not, finally Onag pulled back, eyes slipping open to regard him in a half lidded gaze, tongue passing over his lips once. That was interesting. A smile formed as he reached up, running fingers through brown locks.

    “Well, did you enjoy that?”

     _“This one does not need to enjoy…to serve his function.”_

    If it hadn’t been for the fact the he had spoken, Swone might have been upset by what had been said. But already Onag had replied, without being told to do so. Command forgotten. In fact, it was merely conversation, a question, and in his mind, progress.

    “What is your function?” 

    When nothing was given, no words or even a change in his expression, Swone placed a hand on either cheek, forcing their eyes to meet again. He whispered the previous command, and once more felt lips touch. This time he did give back, taking in Onag’s mouth as much as he could, teeth pulling at the soft skin till it broke, small drops of blood forming along the surface. If he felt it, there was no display, Onag merely continuing on with the kiss as before, eyes shut, while hands started to move down Swone’s shirt, fingers working their way along buttons till his chest was suddenly exposed. Now that had certainly not been something he had told him to do.

    “L…look at me.” He mumbled, squeezing his cheeks just lightly as Onag raised his eyelids to stare at him, still silent. Anyone else would of not seen a difference, red was usually just red when it came to color, but to Swone, it was the slight lack in how glazed they looked at the moment, less like mirrors than before, the small change in tinge that seemed to settle around them, and the fact that he had seen his eyes for so many years that it was easy to tell between the intense blue of when he was angry, the storm colored blue for when he was sad, and the almost, just almost human blue he could see now, so faded, so small, but still there. This was just as much a secret to Onag as the next words he said, hands falling from his face, knowing now that it would work this time. Both were things he would never, ever tell him in any right mind, in any moment other than this.

    The response was immediate. Almost like he was taking a breath for the first time in ages, Onag shuddered as his head dropped to Swone’s chest, resting there with hair that suddenly seemed covered in sweat, face clammy, and blue eyes blinking dizzily at the surface he was up against. Swone didn’t speak, he simply waited. When realization appeared to hit, Onag jerked back, wide eyed, with lips parting, closing, opening again, as if he hadn’t the voice to say what thoughts tumbled through his mind. It was then that Swone shifted, adverting his gaze as he started to button his top. He didn’t want to see the tired look, the dark bags under his eyes and the confused, horrified expression that would not leave. How long ago he had slipped away inside himself meant that it was all the more time left unknown to Onag, all the blank spaces inside his mind he couldn’t collect. Or, along those lines most likely.

    Pulling himself out of his chair, Swone started for the kitchen. He paused when he heard Onag say something though, his name perhaps, he couldn’t quite make it out. Glancing back with his arms crossed, only enough to look at him from the corner of his eye, Swone saw a hand raised to swollen lips, the searching look on his face for want of an explanation, anything. Almost gnashing his teeth together, he turned his head away.

    “Next time your phone dies because you’re too stupid to charge it, don’t expect me to come look for you again,” He responded, fingers digging into his sleeves as Swone spouted out the first thing that came to mind. “And quit spending so much time on your computer, there is more to life than fucking Google. I had to drag your passed out ass from the study just to make sure you were alive. Eat the stir fry I made you, don’t ask any more questions. Just eat it.”

    Taking the hint, or the explanation, only a hesitant, weak laugh came from the man still sitting at the table, Onag turning directly to the food. It was what they wanted. A sudden return to the normal that had been the upfront image of their entire friendship, a distraction, like a shield which allowed them to keep moving forward despite…situations. Swone cleaned the kitchen while Onag ate, both of them lapsing into a silence, but a comfortable one in which neither had to say anything because there wasn’t anything that had to be said, they were there, and everything was the same as it always was. When Onag finally started about the lights, and how so many were on, Swone managed a smile, giving his own verbal retort. It went on for awhile, back and forth remarks that were really nothing more than mundane topics, pointless arguments, and literally everything they needed right now. 

    After awhile, as his head started to nod towards the plate, already a slight snore slipping out from half parted lips, Swone watched from the counter, amused. It was funny how the guy seemed to be able to fall asleep just about anywhere. Well, he wasn’t about to move him now. Taking away everything from the table, Swone dumped his jacket on Onag’s back. A few hours, just a few, and then he was going home. Perhaps. Maybe. He could take the room upstairs, after all, it had been awhile since he last visited, and that was why he was here. Just visiting a friend.


End file.
